MASON CITY, IA--
“These are the first ones of their type that are here in the United States,” said Larry Eichmeier, a livestock instructor at NIACC.But one day they may be an industry staple. “We think that the industry is going to be required at some point in the future to have sows that can get up and down and move around,” said Eichmeier, describing the new crates the school has.
“We're just being ahead of what they're going to be making everybody do in the future,” said Jason Koenigs, a sophomore at the school.
Eichmeier says over the last forty years farrowing crates were 'stationary'. “And so the sows were limited to just enough space to where they could stand up and lay down,” he said.
He says the crates help protect baby pigs from being laid or stepped on. “And the crates themselves well, we'll start out with the sows confined to a fairly small space,” he said. “When the pigs are about a week of age then we'll open up the crates into a pen”
Which is what makes these crates special for the sows. “They can walk around more and they can be with their babies more and get up and down,” said Jacob Neuberger, a NIACC student.
Which Eichmeier says helps lead to a happier pig. “Sows will eat more, they'll tend to be more content because they can move around,” he said.
